


Like You Learned About Sinking

by significantowl



Category: Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Community: fandom_stocking, M/M, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-03
Updated: 2013-04-03
Packaged: 2017-12-07 09:17:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/746854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/significantowl/pseuds/significantowl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A hand covered Q's on the keyboard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like You Learned About Sinking

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alba17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alba17/gifts).



> A little test drive with these characters, written for Alba17 as a part of Fandom Stocking. Title from "Save Yourself" by the Colour.

A hand covered Q’s on the keyboard. 

It was the height of trespass, an unforgivable thing done by a man who specialised in them. Q twisted his hand, wrenching Bond’s wrist and pinning it to the desk. He had no hope of keeping Bond there if Bond did not choose to be kept, but he was sending a message. It wasn’t his preferred method of communication, but Q was in all things adaptable.

Bond didn’t speak, didn’t draw a surprised breath, didn’t let a frown nor a smile mar his lips. He regarded Q steadily, his eyes sharp. He’d clearly had a measure of victory. He’d got something he wanted. Not Q’s attention on himself - if that were one of James Bond’s desires, he might well indulge it, but only as it dovetailed with some other purpose - but the lapse of Q’s attention on the job.

“Why?” Q turned back to his monitors as he asked the question, taking in all three screens at a glance. No change. The simulations were running precisely as they had been; no keystroke had gone astray, no rogue code had been introduced. Good news for Bond.

"The usual," Bond said. "You’ve been at this desk for thirty-two hours. You no longer have need to be."

Seductive words. There was a certain distant quality to the room around him, to everything but the pixels on the screens and the pulse of Bond's blood beneath his fingertips. Q knew, objectively, that he was experiencing exhaustion. He also knew that the tests he ran today might keep someone alive tomorrow. He knew that tonight, with Bond standing in front of him a too-recent survivor of yet another war zone, he could not walk away of his own accord.

Q cleared his throat. "Yes, well, if you'll do me the courtesy of acknowledging that I know my own job-"

Bond’s fingers tightened. Not quite into a fist, but muscles flexed in his wrist and forearm, pressing against Q’s hold. It wasn’t a test of Q’s grip; that would be a pointless action, and Bond was not in the habit of those. Instead, Q took it for a simple reminder. _I'm here._

“Do me the courtesy of acknowledging that I know obsession,” Bond said, low. “Where it begins and how it ends.”

It was pleasant, that thump of Bond's blood. It was strong. “We understand each other, then.”

There was no reply. Q was unsurprised. Bond would not commit to agreement or disagreement with no actions to observe, with nothing but words to go on.

So Q would provide the action, thus allowing for one of two possible outcomes: Q would let go of Bond, return his hand to his keyboard, and Bond - message delivered, a fellow professional's boundaries respected - would leave. Or Q would let go, and Bond, confident in his own judgment as to when a line should or should not be crossed, would escalate. Perhaps he would pivot Q’s body, a hand splayed across Q’s hip. Perhaps he would press Q towards the door, his coiled strength tight against Q's back.

Slowly, Q lifted his fingers. 

He had no doubt that they understood each other. It was time to find out how well.


End file.
